Piston-ring for internal-combustion engines.



G. R. RICH.

PISTON RING FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1913,

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

20 wad/Z4 STATES PATENT orifices..-

aaonen 3.. RICE, or can rank, rumors, Assien'on T RICH rooL comramrpor CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

rIsrCN-nme FOR INTERNAL-COKBUSTIOH enemas.

Application mediuly Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it ma concern.

I Be it known t at I, Gnonen R. R1011, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oak Park, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certainv new and useful Improvements in Piston-Rings for Internal-Gombustion Engines; of which the following is declared to be a full,- clear, and

exact description.

This invention relates to piston rings, designed particularly for use in connection with pistons of internal combustlon englnes, and its principal object is to provide a piston ring of simple, light and comparatively inexpensive construction, yet one which shall be very efficient in action.

The ordinary piston ring now in common use consists of a split ring of spring steel or other metal, of larger diameter than the internal diameter of the cylinder, and ne'ces-.

saril-y it must be compressed when it is inserted in the cylinder of the engine; consequently, when released,- it presses against the inner face of the cylinder, creates friction, and at the same time causes considerable wear upon the internal face of the cylinder. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a piston ringwhich shall completely obviate all of such objectionable features, and still provide a practically perfeet joint between the piston and cylinder.

To such ends this invention consists in the several novel features of construction hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing furnished herewith, of which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fragment of a piston, showing a number of my improved piston rings applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a central, vertical section taken on line 4 2'+2, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a horizontal section spectivc view of one of the rings, Fig. is a side elevation of a fra ment of a cylinder vention. Each showing a slightly modified form of ring retainingmean's and Fig. 8 is a detail, vertical section taken on the line 88, Fig. 7.

eferrmg to said drawing, 10, designates a piston of which 11, designates its cylin- Patented Dec. 23, 1913. 14,1918. Serial No. 778,892. J

drical wall, and 12, the head thereof. In I accordance with the common. practice, circumferential grooves 13, are formed on the outer face of the cylindrical wall 11, of the piston,- for the reception of the piston rings, and in the preferred form of the invention said grooves 13, are shown as having a rectangular cross section.- In each of said grooves 13', is seated a piston ring, 14, constrncted in accordance with the present inring comprises a strip of comparatively thin metal, originally wider than the groove 13, and rolled by any suitable means to present the cross section best seen inFig. 5. The reference numeral 16,

designates 'the cylindrical portion of the ring, which is designed to bear against the inner face of the cylinder, and the edges of said strip beyond said cylindrical portion 16,- are each rolled down to form reverse curves 17 and 18. The distance between the marginal edges of the curved portions 18, is approximately equal tothe distance between the'edges 19, of the grooves 13, although if desired said grooves may be a trifle wider than the width of the finished ring. The ends 20,. of the ring 14, are cut away on an 1 angle, here shown, as of approximately forty-five degrees, and the length of the f strip from which the ring is formed is such Ethat when bent or curved upon itselfthe fedg'e's of the ring will fit and seat upon the :base of the groove in-t-he piston with the terminal ends 20, contacting with each other. 5T0 form a more perfect fit a light out may be taken off the rings after they have been inserted in the groove, thus insuring a perfectly cylindrical bearing surface.

It is to be observed that by reason of the fact that the strip is bent to fit the base of. ,the groove, or perhaps bent to a slightly Ls'mall'e'r, diameter so as to press against the f base of the groove, there is no tendency for the ring "to bear', with any unnecessarily great pressure, against the inner face of the cylinder and cause any great amount of unnecessary to curve or be given the ring by curving into friction; furthermore the pressure of the rin against-the cylinder 1s due to the cross and this is permitted by reason of e reversed curved edges of the ring. The rings ma be made-of very light ga metal and pre erably a high carbon ste e is employed containing a very small percentage of manganese, althoug of course, any suitable metal may be employed in the construction of the rings.

In the. modified orm-shown in the Figs. 7 and 8, the groove 13', is shown as. formed withoverhanging ed 13', that engage with the outer sides 0 the reversed curved edges 18, of the ring 14. With the use of the overhanging edges 13 it may be found bend the ring before inserting it in the groove, although a more perfect and accurate external face may form before inserting into the groove. be overhanging edges 13", are shown as formed with oppositely disposed notches 13, throughwvhich the ring may be inserted in the groove 13.

I am aware that various alterations and modifications of the exact form of the ring are possible withoutjde rting from the invention and I do not, erefore, desire to limit myself to the exact form shown and described, except as maybe necessitated by the prior state of the art. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A piston ring, uniform in cross section throughout, and comprising a cylindrical portion adapted to bear against the internal wall-of a cylinder and having its edge portions bent inward from the cylin drical portion at a wide angle with respect to each other, to form resilient portions adapted to bear against the base of an anstrip 0 metal of of a cylinder and having its edge portions" nular groove in ,a piston.

2. A iston ring, comprising an annular uniform cross section, and consisting of a cylindrical portion adapted to bear against the internal wall bent inward and then laterally away from each other in .the form of reverse curves to form. resilient portions adapted to bear against the base of an annular groove in a pistonf *3. A piston ring, comprising an annular strip of metalhavmg overlapping ends and of uniform cross section throughout, said strip consisting of a middle cylindrical portion adapted to bear against the internal wall of a cylinder and having its edge porstrip of metal havingv a mid against the means tions bent inward fromthe cylindrical por tion widel diverg g directions, with respect to see other to form resilient rtions adapted to bear against the base 0 an annular groove in a piston. 1

4. A piston ring, uniform in cross section throughout, and comprising a st'rip of metal bentinto ring-like formation, con- 'sisting of a middle cylindrical portion adapted to bear against the internal face of a cylinder and avin its op osite edge 7 portions curved-inwar from 0 cylindncal' portion and then away from each other to form portions of less diameter than theouter di'amete'r of-the cylindrical ortion-tand adapted to bear against the ase of an? annular groove ina piston,

5..A-' iston ring, com an annular strip 0 metal of uni orm cross section throughout, thecross section being substang tially of dish-like formation having a flat base and outwardly flaring portions.

6. A pistonz ing',"comprisiig an annular e cylindrical portion adapted to bear against the internal ,0 wall of a cylinder and resilient ortions formed at the edges of the cylindrical portion and. diver g'from each other at a wide angle an adapted to bear against the base of an annular groove in a piston. 35

'7. A piston ring, of uniform'cross section throughout, and comprisi a cylindrical portion adapted tobear against the internal wall of' a cylinder and having its opposite edge portions bent inward in the. form of reverse curves; the two edge ortions diverging from each otherand ing arranged to bear against and seat upon the base of an annular groove in. a piston. a

8; A piston ring, comprising 'a stri of metal uniform in cross section throng out, and having a cylindrical portion adapted to bear against the internal wall of a cylinder,y

its opposite ed e portions being bent inward at a 'wide ang e from the cylindrical por- .110 tion to form annular resilient portions that. seat'upon the "base of a'groove of a piston.

9. A iston'ring, comprising an annular strip 0 metal uniform in cross section throughout and having itsends overlapping each other, the middle portion of said an-. nular stripbeing ofvcylindrical form and its edge portions having reverse-curve bends,

extending toward the. axisof the ring, to

form resilient portions "adapted to bear .base of an annular groove of a piston. a a e 10. A piston ring, comprising a strip of 1 spring metal uniform in cross section throughout and bent into annular form with its ends overlapping each other, the middle portion of said annular portion of said annular strip being. cylindrical in form and adapted to bear against the internal wall of a cylinder, and the opposite edge portions being bent into reverse curves extendin outed the above at Chicago, county of Cook, generally towjard the axislof the cylindriga this 30th day of June A. D. 1913. portion and ormin resi ient portions or the cylindrical porti on, said edge portions GEORGE RICH 5 being adapted to seat upon the base of an- Witnesses: I

nular groove of a piston. L. H. VINNEDGE,

In Witness whereof I have hereunto exe- E. G. MULLEGAN. 

